KUCHING: The Malaysia Maritime Enforcement (MMEA) detained nine vessels including a foreign vessel for illegally transferring catches from one vessel to another on 15 June. MMEA Sarawak Region director First Admiral Ismaili Bujang Pit said his enforcement team confiscated about 200 metric tonnes of marine catch when they raided the vessels about 0.6 nautical miles from the Tanjung Manis port in Sarilcei.

He said the MMEA patrol team spotted crewmen from eight of the fishing boats were busy transferring their catch into another vessel prior to the arrest at 1.15pm.

' Further inspection revealed the skippers of the vessels failed to produce valid permits fortransferring marine catch from one vessel to another from the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia (LK3M).

"The foreign mother ship (Vor Sahamongkol) has also failed to produce valid documents to prove that it is a registered cargo ship," he said during a press conference held at State MMEA headquarters, Jalan Muara Tebas, yesterday. Ismaili said a total of 105 crew members and their vessels were brought to LKIM jetty in Tanjung Manis to facilitate investigation under the Fisheries Act 1985, the Customs Act and Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952.